Kingdom Hearts: Break In
by Wellwitted
Summary: Jack Sparrow is the key to certain disaster. Sora and the gang can't help but worry as the pirate unwittingly gains the ability to wield the Keyblade- in a way no other has before. What rooms better left in the dark will Sparrow break into? At what cost?
1. Arrival

An overcast, grey sky hung limply from the dripping rungs of the stratosphere; a sodden sheepskin in need of a sheep. Heavy, hard bombs of water exploded on the pavement as one lone pedestrian stared up at the traffic lights. The orange eye winked furiously at the young man, whose face veiled by a black hood.

The eye closed, and another opened; a glaring red one that seemed to taunt, "Go on, I dare you. Cross the road."

Without a moment's hesitation, the young man complied. His boot splashed onto the tarseal.

He continued to stare at the light, which now seemed to scream in frustration, "Turn back! Turn back!"

On the centre line he paused, not moving back or forward. Through squinted eyes he could see the hazy patches that were the headlamps of an oncoming car. Still, he did not budge.

On the road to the left at the intersection, whilst waiting for his green eye to shine, the driver noticed the young stranger and shouted, "Oi! Get off the road you moron!"

A string of other people also joined in, thumping their fists on the horn, pulling the fingers and all a manner of other rude gestures.

The black-hooded youth returned the last one. He faced the speeding vehicle, extending his black-gloved hands to the side. A Keyblade materialised in each as the car came closer. The light now highlighted the young man's jaw line, it was so close.

"Watch out!"

The vehicle was about to hit him- when he vanished.

Jamming on the brakes, the car jolted to a halt, and the driver jumped out, bounding to the front by the bumper.

"Bloody hell!"

"Where is he? I thought you hit the little idiot!"

"So did I!"

Meanwhile, the hooded young man had reappeared beside the driver's door and snuck in. He revved the engine wickedly.

"Oi! He's in your car!"

Before the driver could get back to the door, the car-jacker had raised a Keyblade and the doors clicked shut. The car sprang off down the street, leaving a series of tyre marks behind on the road. And the motorist was cussed profusely as the wake crashed into him.

The green eye glowed.

***

Later that day, Sora, Donald and Goofy arrived in a new world, Auckland.

"Man, this place is weird," Sora commented.

He glanced down the street, which was bathed in an after-the-storm aura after the rain clouds had been chased away. The boy was clad in a black T-shirt and baggy shorts, Donald's attempt at blending in with magic.

"Sora, all the worlds we go to are weird," the white duck in the sailor's cap said now.

"Hyuck, but that's what makes 'em all new for us," Goofy put in. "Woulda be boring if it were the same ole place."

"Yeah. You're right." Sora smiled. "I wonder what Kairi would think of this place?"

At their friend's last wistful comment, Goofy and Donald looked at each other and giggled into their hands.

The Keyblade master was about to complain when several teenage boys approached from across the street.

Adam, a tall, blonde-haired type, was their leader. "Hey, Emo! Where you from?"

"Actually, my name is Sora," the boy answered, looking puzzled at the stranger.

"Sora? Ha!" Adam turned to his lackeys and grinned a most nasty grin. "Sounds like a name for a prick, don't you think?"

"You say that again!" Sora shouted, angry, for he understood by the crude gestures the other boy's friends were expressing.

Adam glared at him. "What's that, prick? Your dick ain't in pain? Let me help you with that!"

With that said, he kicked the unaware Sora in the crotch.

"Ow!" Sora fell to his knees in pain, gasping for his breath.

"You leave Sora alone!" Donald shouted in a rage, stamping his webbed foot down on the pavement.

"Donald Duck?" One of the other boys crouched down to get a better look at the flustered magician.

"You bet I'm Donald!" The feisty duck raised his wand and cast a fire spell in his face.

"Agh!" The boy fell back, clawing at his face.

Goofy had to intervene to get his friend off of the boy. "Hyuck, Donald, you're not supposed ta use magic on people. Only on them Heartless and Nobodies."

Donald cackled angrily, but Goofy wasn't going to let him get his way. He restrained him.

"Let go! Let go! Let go, Goofy!"

Sora was still shaky, but with Goofy and Donald's (whom had calmed down somewhat) help, he managed to get to his feet.

Adam folded his arms and smiles in an arrogant manner. "What you gonna do, prick? Nothing, that's what, you pussy!"

With a steely expression in his blue eyes, Sora extended his hand in front of him and summoned the Keyblade. "Back off you jerk."

"A key?" Adam's face fell.

"Key_blade_," Sora corrected.

The bully took a step backward, and in his cowardice, skittered away like a frightened rabbit, and his followers followed with a look of disgust.

"What was that all about?" Sora asked aloud.

"Shucks, I dunno," Goofy said. "Probably just a bunch of guys messing about."

Donald glared at his friend. "I coulda shown them a thing or two if you didn't get in the way!"

"I believe you, Donald," Sora commented, and he and Goofy laughed at their furious comrade's expression.


	2. Not a Nobody

As the trio of friends ambled down the street, they noticed something very strange. Virtually everyone ignored them, or threw a brief strange glance their way.

"What's up with them?" Sora asked aloud, as yet another person walked on by, not acknowledging his wave. "Do you think I smell funny?" He sniffed cautiously under his armpit to check.

Goofy put in his point of view. "Maybe they're Nobodies."

"You think?"

Smirking, Donald suggested, "Why don't you hit one over the head to find out?"

Sora eyed the closest 'creature' warily. It was a woman, on the well-rounded side, with far too much make-up on to look natural.

"I dunno, Sora. You be careful, now. They might be dangerous." Goofy covered his eyes with his hands.

The Keyblade appeared in the boy's hand, and as the woman came nearer, he brandished the weapon in anticipation.

Seeing him, the big lady opened her mouth- and screamed at the top of her voice, "Help! Help! I'm being attacked! Help!"

Her whole painted face flushed red, and she stumbled away for her life.

Goofy looked on after her. "Uh, Sora, I don't think that there lady was a Nobody. A Nobody would attack."

"Or, they could summon more of their kind!" Donald interrupted, pointing in the other direction, where a whole crowd of people was on the verge of rushing at the three friends.

"We can't hold off all of those!" Sora shouted suddenly, "Run!"

Obediently, Donald and Goofy dashed screaming down the street.


	3. The Battle for Bearings

"Pirate." Captain Jack Sparrow's face was pulled into a tight, uncomfortable smiled as he watched Elizabeth (the wench who had seconds ago bestowed him with a kiss of death) retreat from him, a telltale guilt lingering in her eyes.

The pirate was doomed, as was his ship, the _Black Pearl_. There was no escape their twin fates; they were literally bound together by the shackles that locked him to the mainmast.

Jack loathed that his freedom had been so easy to snatch away again. Beyond the _Pearl_, his first and only love, the sea, taunted; flirted with him. Filled his heart with despair.

But there was one thing he would kill himself to accomplish: flail both hands in the face of his death. Take some of its glory and stamp it flat into the ground.

First, he would need to break free of the shackles.

Captain Jack Sparrow tugged and pulled and heaved.

The shackles jiggled and jangled and clinked.

Not that it made any difference whatsoever. Shackles weren't meant to have their purpose defeated so easily.

"Would you like some assistance with those?" an unfamiliar voice muttered in his ear.

Jack waved his free hand, too distracted to think much, and he grumbled, "Fine. Be my welcome stranger."

_Poof_. The shackles disappeared.

Rubbing his wrist painfully, the pirate forgot that anyone was there, and he silently rejoiced that he was free.

Or, not.

As he forced himself to face in the other direction, Jack noted the strong presence of Murphy's Law coming into effect, glaring him in the face. The monstrous Kraken had reared up out of the depths, its maw exposed, especially for the pirate to get a preview of what his life/ death would be like very soon. Murphy was an optimist, so that didn't make Captain Jack Sparrow's situation very appealing to the target audience.

"Well, hey there."

"RAAWWWR!!! COUGH COUGH ENCOUGH!!!"

As the Kraken gave Jack its loud greeting, it spluttered and spat up his long-lost tricorne hat on the deck of the _Black Pearl_.

Plastered in what could only be described nicely as beastie spittle, Captain Jack Sparrow gingerly picked up the hat and gave it a hefty swing, in the hope of the action removing the large blob that it was stuck to.

As Jack placed the hat back on his head, he surveyed his poor ship. "Ye gods, someone has been a very bad little- er, _big_, beastie. Excuse my slip." He placed one hand on his hip and waggled the index finger of his other hand condescendingly, as if rebuking a naughty child whom had tracked mud inside a house.

"If you're not too busy-

"If you paid a bit more attention, you'd notice that I _am_ in fact too busy," Jack interrupted, waving a hand for silence at the voice without a face.

The voice persisted. "Ah, but your being busy doesn't necessarily get anything accomplished. I don't believe you've noticed yet, but your mighty foe cannot hear you, comprehending or not."

"What the bloody hell-

Jack Sparrow stared hard at the Kraken's maw, observing its many rows of sharp, huge teeth. Was it just him, or was it not moving?

Something stirred in the shadows, and Jack Sparrow jumped, frightened. A young man, probably in his early twenties, silently approached him. He had short, bluish-silver hair, with eyes like cold sapphires. The traced the pirate's movements in an eerie manner.

Jack's eyes widened. "Where did you come from?"

The stranger rolled his eyes. "Thought you might have wanted to know who I was, but I'll humour you… not. You wouldn't even have heard of the name."

"Is that so?" Jack Sparrow fired back defensively, "How can you tell that I have not heard of it if you do not ask me do I know said homeland? Or, whatever said region means to you."

"Indeed…" The stranger placed his hand o his chin thoughtfully. "Well, soon fixed. Have you heard of a place called Marapor, land of Shadow?"

The pirate flailed his hands in the air and lied in excitement, "Oh yes, I've heard of it! Me murderous Grandmama's second cousin Patricia was transferred there several years ago, to my relief. Apparently she's taken a liking to a straitjacket."

The stranger looked suspicious. "Considering the fact that it's an entirely different world, how in the Starpath's name did she get there?"

"By way of a magical boat- er, ship. It's mind-muddling what can be done these days." Jack pretended to stifle a yawn.

"Gummi Ship?"

Jack stared at the young man for a moment and then snapped his fingers in dismissal. "Yes, a Gummi Ship." The pirate had been fortunate enough to hear the strange boy with the key for a sword (What was his name? Zola? Sorry?), Whatever-his-name and Donald and Goofy talking about a Gummi Ship when they had visited Port Royal some time ago. "Anywho. So who were you? Wasn't listening when you said who you were."

"I didn't say," the stranger replied.

"You didn't? Yet." Jack looked pointedly at him.

The young man sighed impatiently. "I am Xabbos."

Jack put his finger in his ear and frowned. "Pardon? You are 'the boss'? I find myself contradicting that theory, savvy?"

Xabbos glanced at the pirate knowingly. "Yes, because you are in fact Captain Jack Sparrow. Stressing 'Captain'. Xabbos is my name."

Grimacing, Jack slapped his hand against his forehead. "Seems to me like mothers are naming their children in gibberish. That hardly inspires sanity in any form. What the hell is this world falling to?

"The darkness," Xabbos replied, not caring that the pirate's rant had been entirely composed of sarcasm. "Not that that concerns your purpose."

Jack Sparrow laughed a dry, defeated laugh. "Oh, my purpose. Has much variation lately." He glanced back at the Kraken, paused in time, waiting.

Xabbos shook his head pityingly. "It's not a destiny you have to choose for yourself."

"I did not choose it!" Jack suddenly shouted, clenching his fists tightly in his anger. "Bloody Elizabeth forced it upon me, to save her precious _William_!" He spat on the ground in revulsion.

He looked at Xabbos, whose expression had not changed after the pirate's tirade.

"I said 'have', not 'had'," he commented.

Jack's eyes narrowed. "Oh happy day. You said 'have' instead of 'had'! It makes a world of difference."

"Rather, a universe of difference," Xabbos replied, his blue eyes now cool pools of serenity. "But that depends on you, Jack. I offer you a new aversion to Fate."

The pirate rubbed his palms together uneasily. "Your offer doesn't seem to deviate much from that of Davy Jones's plan."

"He sent this monster after you, didn't he?" Xabbos glanced down at Jack's hand thoughtfully.

Jack didn't answer.

Xabbos walked past the pirate casually, towards the Kraken's maw. He leaned forward, observing the teeth like goods in a souvenir shop.

"Now, the way I offer won't hound you with debts, bloodlust, deadlines…" The strange young man pointed back at the Kraken in an offhand manner. "Or that."

"No raging beasties that look at me like afternoon tea? Sounds like a lovely idea, eh?" Jack Sparrow smiled in anticipation.

Xabbos shook his head. "There will _always_ be monsters, no matter how many trespassing notices you stick up."

Jack's face fell. "When you point at a beastie and say I won't get… what was it I wouldn't be getting?"

"Death. We'd never force it on you for failing." Xabbos grinned. "There will be monsters that stand in your way, blocking your path. I suspect you know what _they_ offer." He sniffed in disgust.

Understanding, Jack nodded. "So, what do you offer me?"

Xabbos smiled, knowing that what he was going to say would appeal to the pirate. "Freedom. The chance to see other worlds. Strength. Wisdom. And did I mention 'freedom' clearly enough?"

"How do you propose such qualities?" The word 'freedom' had sparked his imagination. Freedom!"

Holding out his hand, Xabbos summoned a weapon that was suspiciously familiar in the pirate's mind.

"The Keyblade?"

"No." Before Jack could ask what it was, Xabbos answered. "_A_ Keyblade. There are more of them in existence than you know. And I know that you know. My trackers have informed me that you met Sora, a Keyblade bearer."

Jack looked slightly miffed at his confession. "You've been following me? You're as bad as Fitzy. Why should I trust you?"

Xabbos rolled his eyes again. "Mere details, Jack. Why should you trust me? Because you want to, that's why."

"No I don't."

"Actually, you do." Xabbos stepped closer to Jack, holding the Keyblade out in front of him. He noticed that the pirate's pupils dilated with interest. "You want my Keyblade."

"Never!" Jack turned his head away, folding his arms stubbornly, but he could still see the Keyblade in the corner of his eye.

"It can save you from your demise."

Jack frowned at Xabbos. "Who said anything about a- oh." The younger man was pointing at the maw of the Kraken for emphasis. "Funny about that."

"My Keyblade, if it became yours, could make this monster look more like an obstacle in your path to you than the hand of death, as you see it now."

The pirate's hand involuntarily clenched around an invisible Keyblade's hilt. "How long do I have to muse over this? Weigh the pros and cons- sort of."

"Not long." Xabbos glanced back at the Kraken. "The magic is fading."

"You have the Keyblade! Couldn't you shut it up a bit? Sprinkle of Keyblade power… et cetera, et cetera?"

Xabbos shrugged. "I sure could. But that removes your panic, and gives you back any existing logic that you dropped aside earlier. We can't have that happening, can we?"

Without another thought, Jack reached out his hand. "Then hand it over, handsomely now!"

"Now that's altogether rude of you." Xabbos shook his head, appearing disappointed.

Then, without another word, Xabbos lunged for the pirate and trust the Keyblade through his heart.

Jack gasped in agony, his hands attempting to pull the foreign object out of his chest, but Xabbos held it there, forcing the swell of the Keyblade's power into the pirate's body. Jack Sparrow was helpless as tiny pulses of electricity headed up, hijacking his veins, making their way towards his brain.

Mentally, he found himself fighting a losing battle. Jack placed his Strength at the entrance to his mind, defending against the invaders.

_The enemy was visible this way. The creatures were the colour of light, but his Strength was not fooled by their appearance. They came to attack, to pry away the possession of his mind. But he wasn't going to let them get their way. _

"_Get out!" His Strength roared._

_Something formed in his Strength's hand. Curious, his Strength looked down. A broadsword. His Strength instinctively gripped the blade and rushed to attack. _

_The sword sang as his Strength fought in a way that he had never fought before. The light creatures were herded backward, the way they had come. His Strength's path sloped, informing him that his heart was near._

_His Strength entered the cavern of his heart. The sight of the Keyblade piercing through the northern wall caught his Strength's attention. It was the source of the light creatures, which were creeping in- and heading towards his Strength en masse._

"_Take a hint and get out of my bloody heart!"_

_The broadsword hacked through the light creatures. His Strength advanced towards the Keyblade's point. Only hesitating for a moment, his Strength stepped straight through the middle of it. _

_The Keyblade's corridor was small in size, so his Strength had to get down on all fours and crawl. Soon, the corridor widened, exposing the __teeth__ of the Keyblade. Three orbs, gold, silver and obsidian, hung in space in each of the __teeth__. His Strength continued, having to pull himself along on his stomach through the chain. _

_Scaring the light creatures away with his blade, his Strength reached out to a psychedelic portal and was warped into a cavern. It reminded his Strength of the one in his own body, but whose was this? Who was the man? Xabbos. Right. It was his heart._

_Suddenly, his Strength was sent flying._

_With a loud slam, his Strength was cracked against the cavern wall. His Strength looked painfully up. A transparent rendition of Xabbos nearly five times his own Strength's size was towering over him with a smirk on his face. _

"_You shouldn't have come here, Jack."_

"_Jack? I'm not Jack. He's the one you attacked, remember?"_

_The transparent Xabbos shrugged before raising his blurry version of the Keyblade. "I'm surprised you managed to leave your body behind. You're not even a Keyblade bearer!"_

_His Strength stared at the intertwined colours of gold, silver and obsidian that formed a stone pendant on a loop around the transparent Xabbos's neck._

_Thinking quickly, his Strength snatched the pendant, avoided the blurry Keyblade that was swinging for his head and raced toward the return portal. His Strength smiled as he thought of how the transparent Xabbos was far too big to chase after him._

_When his Strength was about halfway along the Keyblade corridor, everything shook violently, and his Strength was thrown off of his feet._

_A thought from Jack's mind was passed to his Strength. _Get back! He's removing the Keyblade…

_Another thought, belonging to Xabbos, knocked into him from the other direction. _You're trapped…

His Strength only just managed to get back to his body before his only escape was yanked away. Grinning, his Strength tied the stolen pendant around his own neck…

Captain Jack Sparrow stared up at Xabbos, who no longer held the Keyblade.

The younger man looked defeated. "As they said, you are ready to wield Duskwake."

"I was more or less after the Keyblade," the pirate weakly complained. He hadn't yet recovered from the invasion.

Xabbos nodded down at Jack's left hand. The pirate managed to recognise the Keyblade there before its former bearer cast a spell over him, sending him into a void of pitch black.


	4. Enter Awkward Silence Butterfly

"They don't believe in magic?" Sora was astounded.

He, Donald and Goofy had managed to escape the angry throngs of Aucklanders and had bumped into a girl by the name of Amanda. She was an attractive girl with strawberry blonde ringlets that tickled her shoulders. Hearing their plight, she had linked arms with Sora and explained as patiently as possible what and what not to wear if they were going to even attempt to fit in.

She had also been the genius to suggest that Donald and Goofy took on a human form.

"Well, I do, personally," Amanda confessed airily, smiling at Sora. "But most other people here think I'm weird for it. Personally, I don't care. They can go suck bananas, for all that I care- which I don't!"

Donald, whom was pouting for still being more than two heads shorter than Sora, muttered, "Ha! I don't care either! I'll cast as many spells as I like."

"We don't wanna purposely cause trouble, Donald," Goofy reminded his feisty friend.

He was in a good mood- he was taller than Sora, and Donald too, for that matter.

"Right." Sora nodded, and then turned back to Amanda. "So… have you seen any Heartless or Nobodies around here… in Auckland?"

Amanda shrugged. "No, but my dog keeps looking at me weirdly. Maybe you could check it out for me?"

"Okay!" Sora summoned his Keyblade in anticipation. "Lead the way."

"Sora, put that away!" Amanda waved her arms frantically, looking around to see if anyone had noticed. She calmed down only when Sora dismissed the weapon.

"Take us to your dog! We can handle it." Sora beat his clenched fist to his heart with a grin.

Amanda laughed at him. "Oh, you're so gullible, Sora."

"So your dog… is all right?"

"I don't _have_ a dog," Amanda replied, her voice shaky with amused emotion. "I don't even have a goldfish. We're not allowed pets in the apartment."

Sora frowned. "Oh."

Donald sighed. "What do we do now? We need a problem!"

"Actually, I have an idea," Amanda said, her eyes lighting up suddenly. "We could go to the Mount Eden Prison. I'm sure there will be a few problems there."

Sora stared at her for a moment, and Goofy nudged Donald in the ribs.

"Here we go again."

Glaring at Goofy, Donald rubbed his tender side and voiced his opinion. "Sora, that's a really stupid idea!"

A slow smile spread over Sora's face. "Yeah. Let's go!"

"I'll lead the way, 'cause I know the way." Amanda tugged on Sora's arm and pulled him down Upper Queen Street.

As they were walking along the pavement, cars whizzing by like super-charged mosquitos, Sora couldn't help but notice that, compared to other worlds, Auckland was rather dull-looking. It seemed to be grey with odd splashes of colour. The only constant source of beauty was the sky, a clean cerulean canvas.

Sora was facing the others, walking backwards. "Maybe we'll meet a few weird guys here, like pirates!"

"Mhmm. Like Captain Hook or Silver." Amanda struck a distortedly villainous pose.

Donald folded his arms proudly as he walked. "We took Hook down a while ago."

"Funny!" Amanda said with a disbelieving grin. "You won't find pirates here. In Somalia, maybe, but not here."

Shrugging, Sora replied, "This is a small world. You never know who you'll-

He would've finished his sentence if he hadn't backed into someone who had stepped in his path from a side street. Both went down.

"Hey! Watch where you're going, won't you… Captain?"

Amanda rubbed her eyes as if she were seeing a dream manifest itself into reality. "Johnny?"

The pirate looked up at her from under Sora, who hadn't picked himself up yet. "Aye?"

There was an uncomfortable silence.

"Er, Zoe, mate, I'm sure you're enjoying this as much as I am, but would you mind getting off me? Ta." Jack Sparrow flailed his arms wildly for emphasis.

Sora came close to blushing. "Sorry."

He hastily stood up, leaving the pirate free to get to his own feet.

Goofy asked Jack, "Uh, how did you get here?"

Jack cocked his head in question at him, and then raised an eyebrow in thought. "That is, in fact, not entirely clear to myself just yet. You're Goofy, am I correct?"

"Shucks. Ya remembered. I was wondering how ya'd been after we left Port Royal." Goofy smiled.

The pirate looked slightly sceptical. "Ah, right. Pleasant circumstances allowed us to bump into each other, I suppose."

Donald stomped between him and Goofy and demanded, "What about me?"

"You're… Donald. Ah, the treasure-happy one." Jack crouched to meet him eye to eye. "Last time, you were a duck."

"Wha? Why you…" Donald was about to hurl himself at the pirate, but Goofy made haste to restrain him.

"Gawrsh, Donald, Jack's right." He turned to Jack, who looked slightly amused, and said, "We have ta change the way we look to blend in to other worlds."

Sora raised his hand in greeting and grinned. "It's good to see you again, Captain. Have you seen any Heartless or Nobodies around lately?"

Jack shook his head. "Not at all. But there's something I commandeered recently that I thought you might be interested to see."

He extended his right hand with a flourish and produced his newly acquired Keyblade.

Sora's jaw dropped in astonishment. "You… have a… but _how_?"

"In very desperate circumstances I came to possess said weapon. And I am also desirous to know why, so don't waste your breath asking, savvy?" In a nonchalant manner, the pirate dismissed Duskwake.

Sora found that Amanda was glaring at him. "What's up?"

"You forgot to mention that you are friends with Johnny Depp?"

The younger Keyblade bearer frowned. "Who?"

Jack stared at the girl curiously. "Johnny who? Brief me, I'm feeling a touch lost."

Amanda sneered at him. "Funny." She turned back to Sora and poked him in the chest sharply. "Johnny. Depp. The hottest man on the planet- no, the universe! How could you possibly leave out that not-so-tiny little detail?"

"Who?"

She lost her temper and slapped Sora on the cheek. Furiously, the girl grabbed his chin and forced him to look at the pirate, who frowned and looked away.

"Johnny Depp. Does the name ring any bells in that clod you call a head?"

Sora looked at Jack with a bemused expression pasted on his face. "Captain?"

The pirate stepped back nervously and coughed into his hand. "Er, Zola, why are you looking at me as such?"

"It's Sora! Not Zoe, not Zola, not Cloud…"

Jack interrupted Sora in his rant to object. "And when did I ever call you Cloud?"

"Well…" Sora scratched his head and looked sheepish. "I sometimes get mistaken for this other guy…"

"Enough!" Amanda wrenched her hand away from Sora and directed her anger at Jack. "Dammit, Johnny! The joke is over!"

Raising an eyebrow, the pirate pulled a quizzical face. "Me, _Johnny_? Lass, I believe you've mistaken me for one of three people. One: my distant cousin John on my mother's side, two: my _very_ distant Uncle John who is also on my mother's side, or three: er... let's say there were a few difficulties in 'gender specifics' for number three."

Amanda looked confused.

The pirate shrugged apologetically. "I fear you've merely found me, another derivative. Name-wise, anyway."

"I see." Clearly, however, she did not, but Amanda was generous enough to let it pass. "So you are Jack Sparrow?"

Jack shook his head. "Not at all, lass. I am _Captain_ Jack Sparrow."

The girl looked sceptical. "There's a difference?"

Offended, Jack narrowed his eyes at Amanda and exclaimed, "'Course there's a difference! Jack Sparrow doesn't have a ship, and he's not a captain."

Amanda sneered, fully on the offensive now. "Where's your ship, _Captain_?"

Sensing the looming déjà vu, Jack rolled his eyes and set off down the street, ignoring the fact that Sora, Donald and Goofy were still there, staring at him, and the pain in his side that was his not knowing where on earth he was going.

Sora looked on after the pirate thoughtfully. "Did you really need to do that, Amanda?"

"Yes."

Goofy remarked, "Ya know, I think Jack looks as one with this world as chalk'n'cheese."

"Why couldn't you have said 'salt'n'pepper'?" Sora asked, hoping to be funny.

Of course, Goofy didn't take much notice of this. "Cuz salt'n'pepper go together. I was trying to make a point."

Donald stomped his foot down and asked, "Why are we talking about cheese?"

"Oh, go to sleep, Donald," Amanda cut in. She turned to Goofy. "I suppose you wanna go baby-sit Captain Underpants now."

Sora cupped the back of his head with his hands. "I don't think he would appreciate that."

"You think?" Amanda instantly ran off in pursuit of the pirate.

Goofy glanced at Donald and Sora.

"We really should go after them…"

"Yeah…"

So the trio followed at a pace that didn't resemble that of a stalker.


	5. A Few Adjustments

"None of this rubbish is necessary," Jack grumbled aloud.

After Sora had convinced the pirate that they ought to reunite and stay reunited (and also had proved that Amanda, regardless of how she got on one's nerves, was essential as their guide through the dismal darkness that was Auckland), the group had press-ganged him into entering the closest menswear department. It wasn't looking pretty.

"You can't go running around looking like a… a pirate!" Amanda retorted. She pushed Jack back into the changing room.

Goofy glanced at Donald. "Technically, the Cap'n is a pirate."

"Yeah, but still." The duck/midget shrugged. "She's right. Everyone will be looking at us."

Sora shook his head. "You mean at him."

"It doesn't matter which one here they look at," Amanda hissed as she shoved other selected shirts under the door. "But there's no point in drawing extra attention to yourselves."

"I love drawing extra attention to myself." Sora rolled his eyes as Jack opened the door.

Amanda took a step towards the pirate, her eyes quickly assessing the damage. She started to do up the buttons on his shirt, which he had left unbuttoned.

"What did you do with the tie?" Amanda gave the Captain a glare as she ventured back into the changing room.

"I was not specified of the specific important of said ties," Jack Sparrow replied airily, undoing all of the buttons again with a great amount of subtly. He looked suspicious as the girl put the tie around her neck and made the loop.

"These days, the specific importance is _fashion_." Amanda forced the pirate down and placed the tie over his head.

"Oh no, I'm not about to hang for the sake of looking like every other Tom, Dick and Harry, savvy? No way in hell." Jack tried to tug the tie off, but only succeeded in making the noose impersonation tighter, causing him to choke.

Goofy looked concerned. "Gawrsh, what's he trying to do?"

Other potential witnesses to the death of Jack Sparrow looked their way, raising an eyebrow or two.

Sora gave a nervous smile in their direction. "Dad's not exactly…"

"Fashion-literate," Amanda cut in. Hurriedly she ushered Jack back into the dressing room and let out enough slack to take it off. "We obviously are too dense to wear a tie, eh?"

Jack coughed, rubbing at his neck. "Next time you want to murder me, lass, I'd appreciate it if you clue me in. Truth be told, I'm not actually in that much of a hurry to die."

Amanda rolled her eyes. "Don't be such a Hollywood. We're… gonna have to rethink this."

She gathered up all of the loose items of clothing, including the pirate's old garb, which had a noticeable… smell about it.

"What are you doing?" He demanded, grabbing onto his old clothes possessively.

"You're not the only one who can play dirty." Amanda bit down on his hand, instantly causing him to release his grip. "Jack, you're gonna have new clothes whether you'd like them or not!" She sighed. "Take a chill pill, man, I'm not gonna dump or burn your stuff. Much as I'd like to."

Jack sulked as she closed the door. A moment later, a pile of new clothes was pushed under the door for him to try on.

"I'll go with not!" he called out.

On the other side of the door, Amanda groaned. "I'm sure your Mum will too."

After an extended period of time, Sora kicked the door and complained. "What's taking you so long, Captain?"

"Excuse my plodding at my own pace," Jack replied, mockingly.

"Aw, come on!" Donald grumbled.

Amanda cocked her head to the side thoughtfully and then she whispered in Donald's ear. He looked at her questioningly. She nodded slyly.

"If you don't come out, I'm gonna cremate your clothes!" Donald threatened, banging on the door. "You know I can!"

Hurriedly, Jack kicked the door open, flattening the short magician again the wall.

"Gawrsh," Goofy exclaimed.

"Crap," Amanda swore.

"Wow," Sora remarked.

"Ow," Donald groaned, rubbing his tender head.

There was no sparkle like that of a synthesised outfit. But on Jack Sparrow, there was no need for glitter. The difference announced itself.

Jack raised an eyebrow. "What? Do you want me to go back in there, then? We can do without this weird staring. Ness."

"No." Amanda dragged him away from the changing room door. "It's near perfect. Look in the mirror."

The pirate turned around to face himself. A stranger confronted Jack in his place. He wore a clean white open-neck shirt with thin light blue lines running down it. Overtop was a dark grey denim waistcoat with short tails on the back. Even more overtop, he wore a light black sweatshirt, the zip undone. His new look was completed with a pair of light grey jeans.

"Bugger." In the mirror, Amanda couldn't tell what the pirate's expression represented.

"Don't you like it, Jack? If you don't, we'll change it."

Jack's eyes met her own in the mirror. "It's… interesting. But I haven't decided whether I like it or not."

Amanda touched his arm. "I personally think you look hot."

"What?" Donald, Sora and Goofy exclaimed in unison.

Sora whispered in her ear, "Are you serious, Amanda? He's too old for you!"

"That wasn't what I meant, you idiot," Amanda replied with a sneer. She turned back to Jack. "I'll get the stuff you're in."  
Jack cocked his head to the side. "If you wish." He promptly swaggered out of the shop.

The shop alarm immediately blared to life when he passed through the sensors.

Instinctively, the pirate bolted.

"Hey, you! Stop, thief!" the shop attendant cried, a young man in his early twenties.

Amanda dashed through the door onto the street. "Jack!"

Captain Sparrow was halfway down the street.

Growling under her breath, Amanda fell into the fugitive's pursuit.

"Oi! Captain Jack! Get your arse back here!"

Before long, Amanda managed to catch his attention, and he stopped.

"What was that bloody row?" Jack Sparrow complained.

Amanda grabbed the pirate by the arm and dragged him back toward the menswear department, where Sora, Donald and Goofy were waiting, along with accumulating spectators. "That, my friend, was a reminder that in a civilised world, civilised people pay for virtually everything. Except for politicians."

"You might be surprised at my contemplation of interfering with affairs of state," Jack replied, none the worse for his flight.

His 'captor' rolled her eyes.

Sheepishly, Amanda apologised to the shop attendant for her acquaintance's misconduct. "He don't get out into society, much…" She glanced down at the man's name badge. "Eric."

"What…" Jack stopped when he saw Amanda's warning glare. "Er, the screaming wench is a first for me, mate."

Eric raised a questioning eyebrow. "Well, I suppose you've never stolen anything."

Sora and Donald smothered their sudden eruption of coughs.

"You might be applying the word too liberally," Amanda remarked. She gave Jack a prod in the back and ushered him to the counter.

"That went well," Sora said with affected optimism.

"Aw, phooey," Donald muttered, crossed his arms and tapping his right foot against the pavement.

Sora cupped the back of his head with his hands. "I'm not saying that Captain's running off was the best thing he could've done, but hey. I'm surprised that we managed to get him out of his pirate… er…"

"Clothes," Goofy pointed out helpfully. "But it weren't us. Amanda did it all."

"She's got him twisted around her little finger," Donald remarked.

Sora nodded. "Yeah. Wow, she's amazing." The Keyblade bearer's two friends glanced at him with some suspicion.

"You're not…"

Donald asked blatantly, "Do you have a crush on Amanda?"

"What? No?! No!" Sora protested, raising his hands. "Not like that. Not like Kairi. But don't you ever feel… in your heart, that she's like, leading us?"

"Bwark! Never!" Donald turned his back on Sora, and hesitated. "Well, maybe a little."

"Gawrsh. I've noticed too." Goofy bit his lip apprehensively. "That might not be such a good thing."

Sora flicked his gaze up at Goofy's face. "Why?"

Goofy replied slowly, "Well, we are supposed to be on a mission. And I've got the feeling that this ain't it."

Alarm began to creep its way onto the trio's countenances, but then Amanda came back with the older Keyblade master, and the previous conversation was forgotten.

"Now that that's over," Amanda stated with a bright smile towards the pirate, "it's time a barber saw to you."

A collective sigh rent the air as Amanda once again had her way.


	6. Experimentation

Skipping ahead of the group, Amanda stopped in front of one of the doors leading to her apartment and paused to hunt for her key.

"Let me open it," Sora suggested, after having patiently waited for a fair period of time.

"I'm not going to be lazy just because it's an option," Amanda growled under her breath. The girl discovered her set of house keys with a certain amount of smugness about her. Unlocking the door, she pushed the door open, revealing her abode. "_Voila_!"

Jack Sparrow entered first, taking in the sparse furnishings, the musty, old scent which permeated the room. The ochre carpet had numerous spills on it, fleetingly reminding the pirate of his ship, the _Black Pearl_. He dispelled those thoughts in a hurry.

"Let's have some light in here!" Donald complained suddenly, in his typically unabashed fashion.

Amanda headed for the switch. "I'll get it."

Light flooded the room in a flash, bedazzling Jack. "Where in hell did that come from?"

"What? You've never seen a light bulb before?" Amanda stifled a smirk as her swaggered towards the panel on the wall.

Captain Jack remained unruffled in his investigations. "Have you ever laid your eyes upon a Jellico cat before?"

"Uh… no." Amanda faltered for a moment.

Grinning to himself, the pirate kicked a yellowed newspaper section away, which was advertising a bygone performance of _Cats_ the musical on the front page.

Goofy picked up the fallen newspaper and began to read it. Absent-mindedly, he hummed softly as he did so.

Sora flopped down on a sheet-covered couch, sending up a flurry of dust particles in the air. "Does anyone else live here with you? Your parents?"

"My parents split up about three years ago," Amanda replied, waving them off like blowflies in the summer. "I lived with my mother for a while, but then she peeled my off into this rundown piece of landfill." The girl spat in disgust. "But at least she pays for the rent. It's the least she owes me."

Donald was about to slip his two cents worth into the vending machine of conversation, but the flashing on and off of the apartment lights interrupted him. "Hey! What's the great idea, you stupid palookas?"

The pirate ignored his comrade's rant and flicked the switch again. "See, this is an interesting piece of work that I never witnessed. We'll have to see about gettin' some of these on the _Pearl_."

Sora glanced towards Jack. "What, you have electricians in Port Royal?"

Jack involuntarily snorted. "Zola."

"It's 'Sora'."

Shrugging, Jack replied, "Fair enough, 'Sora'. On your part, I believe you have many misconceptions of the capacity of the Caribbean. Where there is a Will, as the cliché goes, there is a way, and even you are aware that we haven't suffered from a lack of 'Will's lately."

The younger Keyblade bearer let out a titter. "Do you even know what a will is?"

"Let's not be misconceptual over points, shall we?" Jack retorted, flicking the switch again. "For the benefit of those with simpler minds, we'll say that much can be accomplished where I come from."

"Are you calling me an idiot?" Sora demanded, standing upright from the couch.

Pausing his play with the lights, Jack turned towards the boy and put a finger in his own ear, as if he had heard incorrectly. "I beg your pardon! Did you hear me say the word? I did not, for one. But if this is how you perceive yourself…"

"Oh, wrap it up and place it under the Christmas tree," Amanda finally spoke out, placing a hand over the light switch, hence preventing the pirate from further playing.

Captain Jack appeared disgruntled at the removal of his new hobbyhorse. "Oi! I was-

"Sitting your arse down and not fiddling with _anything_!" Amanda suddenly interrupted, her eyes flashing at the pirate.

Raising his hands high in submission, Jack backed over to the couch and sat his arse down, strangely cowed by the girl's authority. Sora, Donald and Goofy all stared at Amanda first and then Jack. There was a moment of stunned silence.

Amanda flicked on the lights for the final time and then made her way over to an old lazyboy opposite the couch. "Right, now that we have some sort of order, we can talk about more important topics. I don't suppose any of you has heard of a rogue Keyblade wielder roaming the streets of Auckland?"

The whole group's expression was unanimous in blankness.

"All right. I'll fill you clueless people in," Amanda said with a sigh. "Over the past month or so, someone with what I guess is a Keyblade has been going around making trouble in town."

"What kind of trouble?" Goofy asked, having put down the old newspaper at last.

Amanda replied, "You know, troublesome trouble of the most troubling kind."

Jack Sparrow rolled his eyes, but didn't say anything. His clean-shaven cheek rested on the back of his hand. To him, it felt bare and strange, like his neck, having lost the forest of dreadlocks to a heartless barber.

Sora crossed his arms and tilted his head in thought. "Do you know what this has to do with us?"

"If I were you, I'd keep your Keyblades a secret," Amanda answered, leaning back into the seat. "The cops are looking for suspicious people, and my guess is that you wouldn't receive a very warm reception if you went around town with one of those."

Duskwake materialised in Jack's hand. The pirate began to examine the weapon carefully.

"Jack, would you please put that Keyblade away? I don't really want to be caught near one of those."

Noticing the subtle change in Amanda's expression, Jack Sparrow began to ponder. Why was she so afraid of the Keyblade? Was Amanda not all she talked herself up to be?

Then it hit him: Amanda had no authority over the Keyblade. When he wielded it, the same went for him. Jack kept the revelation close to vest.

"Eh, Sore, did you say the Keyblade unlocks most any bloody lock?"

Sora decided to let it slip. "Sure. Why? Did you have a lock in mind?"

"Please stow it away," Amanda pleaded.

Jack smothered the urge to smirk. "Patience, lass. I wish to test this Keysword thingummy out a moment."

Sora glanced Amanda's way. "Can we…"

"Whatever." Amanda sighed and pointed in the direction of a small kitchen. "Look, I even have a padlock with a lost key in one of the drawers."

The pirate cocked his head to the side.

Goofy hopped out of Sora's way as he made his way to the kitchen through the doorway. "I guess he's havin' trouble findin' what he's lookin' for," Goofy observed as the sounds of clanking and clashing reached the main room.

Donald cackled.

"It's not funny!" Sora called out. After about another half minute of fruitless searching, he poked his head around the doorframe. "Which drawer was that again?"

"The one with the keyless lock," Jack pointed out unhelpfully. "It's somewhat without a key, and has a tendency to lock things."

Sora rolled his eyes at the pirate, whom merely clapped his palms together and bowed his head mockingly. "Thanks for your input, Captain."

"Naturally. Always happy to oblige my mates when the need arises," Jack replied with a grin.

Amanda glared at the captain, and then turned around to kneel on the seat. "I'll see about directing you, regardless of the task that may be."

Sora disappeared back into the kitchen. Amanda kept up a running commentary on his progress.

Crash, bang, sizzle-pop.

"Wrong set of drawers."

Thud, rattle-rattle-rattle, smash.

"Wrong set of drawers."

Clunk, tinkle-tinkle.

"That is a cupboard."

Thump, thump, thump. "Ow! Ow! Ouch!"

Jack winced. "I heard that from over here, and apparently I'm old."

"Why can't you get the right set of drawers?" Amanda complained, slapping her palm against her forehead.

"Why do you have so many drawers?" was the retort.

Amanda reluctantly removed herself from the lazyboy and went to assist Sora in the kitchen.

Donald and Goofy guffawed together when they overheard the girl defend her many drawers. "Because I prefer them over boxers, that's why."

The pirate didn't even crack a smile. After all, boxers weren't the norm back in his era.

Soon enough, Amanda and Sora came back came back into the room, keyless padlock in the latter's hand.

"We have a winner," the girl remarked dryly, batting her strawberry-blonde ringlets off of her face.

The young Keyblade bearer placed the lock on the glass coffee table between the lazyboy and the couch. "Okay. I'm gonna just check myself to see if the lock works." For added emphasis, Sora slipped in the word "'savvy'?"

Jack shook his head at the imitation. "Please, mate. Don't say that word _ever_ again."

Sora flourished the Kingdom Key into existence and pointed toward the padlock. "Sure, Captain."

The padlock glowed for a second, and then the clasp swung to one side.

"Well, I s'pose it works," Goofy commented, and then he looked to Jack Sparrow.

The pirate nonchalantly got on his feet and spun his Keyblade several times. "Mate, your wee tricks aren't too shabby for the likes of yourself, but I can see that you are in sore need of an education in style, savvy?"

Sora coughed. "If you say so, Captain."

Jack faced the padlock, and then visibly hesitated.

"Have you misplaced your so-called style, 'Captain'?" Amanda taunted.

"Not at all," Jack replied. He flailed his free arm at the padlock on the table. "Has not one of you charming, turtle-minded nuisances noticed a certain detail yet?"

Goofy and Donald looked in puzzlement at each other. Sora and Amanda did the same.

"You're a bunch o' bright sparks the lot of you, eh?" Jack muttered under his breath. He picked up the padlock and set the clasp back in.

"Oh," Sora, Donald and Goofy said collectively.

Amanda held her head high in dignity. "What, was it too difficult for you to figure out for yourself?"

"Evidently not," Jack answered. He tossed the padlock back on the table. Twirling Duskwake in the air several times, the pirate threw his arms up in the air and declared, "Unlock, ye lock!"

Nothing happened.

Donald and Goofy glanced at each other, eyebrows raised.

"Ahem. We'll be tryin' that again." Jack cleared his throat and then said, "Open Sesame."

Imagine someone farting in the middle of a speech. The moment that followed was somewhat similar.

"Yeah, no." Amanda shook her head.

Jack fought to keep his face relaxed. "Hold your horses steady, mates. I'm just foolin' with you."

"Then stop fooling around!" Donald shouted, hitting the nail on the head.

Biting his lip, the pirate concentrated. "I command you to unlock. Yield. Open you bloody padlock! Please unlock. Watermelon, watermelon, watermelon?"

Goofy frowned in confusion. "Watermelon?"

Captain Jack stared bleakly at the padlock. "Long story, mate."

Sora smiled, trying to cheer the pirate up. "Don't give up, Jack. You just need to practise is all."

"True?" Jack Sparrow fixed his now angry dark eyes on the boy. "And how do you propose I do that, provided that the Keyblade doesn't work?"

"What are you talking about?" Sora scoffed. "Who's ever heard of a Keyblade that doesn't work?"

Jack flipped Duskwake around so the young Keyblade wielder could see for himself. "Oh, I wouldn't have a clue. Ask Dusky himself."

As Sora took hold of the pirate's Keyblade, he shuddered. "Wow. Yours reminds me of the first Key Riku had." Ignoring the inhibitions he had of the strange weapon, Sora pointed the blade at the padlock and focused.

Nothing happened once more.

"Weird." The boy lightly tapped the Keyblade on the edge of the coffee table.

Jack reclaimed Duskwake and allowed it to dematerialise.

Amanda let out a laugh. "Of course, of all the Keyblades, yours has to be the faulty one, Jack. Just like the compass. I can't see you getting a refund on that."

"Just because it cares not to point north, does not mean that it is broken!" Jack retorted in defence of his compass. He glanced in the direction of the bag in the corner of the room, containing all of his possessions. "It just has a different… purpose, is all."

As soon as he said the words, the pirate remembered back to the day he had claimed Duskwake as his own. In sarcasm, the pirate had asked what the world was falling to. Xabbos, Duskwake's former master, had said it was falling to the darkness, but that it didn't concern his 'purpose'. Purpose. What was his purpose? Where would a Keyblade lead him if it couldn't find it in itself to work, as it should? Jack didn't consider his incompetence. After all, Captain Jack Sparrow wasn't incompetent in the least, according to his own criticism. The pirate dismissed this line of thought. He would find out the answers, in time.

"So, Sora, my good mate," Jack began, regaining entrance back into the real world. "What would you say made that chap Riku's Keyblade unusual?"

Amanda groaned. "Not this again. Just when I thought you had decided to shut up." The girl abruptly stood up and proceeded to leave the apartment in a huff.

"She'll be back, right, Sora?" Goofy asked his friend.

Cupping the back of his head with his hands, Sora grinned. "She took her key. I think she has every intention of coming back."

Goofy sighed. "Gawrsh. Hope she's not too annoyed."

"She'd have kicked us all out of here if she was," Donald informed Goofy.

Jack flailed his arms in his effort to stop the conversation in its tracks and guide it in the direction that he wanted it to go. "That's all very fine and good, but I still wish to know about Riku's Keyblade."

"Why?" Sora asked, instantly on his guard. "Whose side do you think you are on anyway?"

Jack hesitated. "My own. But I would like to know which one they're trying to push me onto."

"They?"

"Look, mate. We're in a war that I don't know who or what I'm fighting for. Savvy?"

Sora took one look at the pirate's face and decided that he was confident Jack would do the right thing. "Okay, I'll tell you."

"Sora…" Goofy said with caution.

"Goofy, it'll be fine," Sora replied.

The pirate had a knowing expression. "I see how it is. You don't trust me."

"But Captain…"

Jack held his hands up. "With good reason, after all. I am a pirate." Willing to submit to the truth for once, the pirate added, "But this pirate would appreciate any help he can get in knowing what ground he stands on."

Sora grinned. "I have faith in you, Captain."

"Don't," Jack replied. "The last wench who had faith in me tried to feed me to a hungry beastie."

"It unlocked peoples' hearts."

"Beg pardon?"

Shrugging, the younger Keyblade bearer explained. "Riku's Keyblade unlocked peoples' hearts. It made people vulnerable to the darkness."

For a moment, Jack pondered this. "What became of that Key, I wonder?"

Donald spoke up. "It came undone from unlocking Sora's heart!"

"Your heart?" Jack looked back at Sora. "Why?"

Sora turned away, so the pirate couldn't see his face. "For Kairi."

Jack frowned, sitting back down. "You put your heart on the line for a lass you fancied, aye?"

The boy opened his mouth to defend himself, but Jack continued. "Sacrifice for a worthy cause is nothing to be ashamed of, Sora. But this does give me an idea of sorts."

As Jack summoned his Keyblade, Sora took one look at his face and began to back away, his hands over his chest, as if protecting his heart. "No way, Captain. I'm not gonna let you practise on me with that thing!"

As if that was a cue, Donald and Goofy put themselves between Sora and Jack, brandishing their various weapons.

"You're gonna have to go through us to get to Sora!" the pair challenged in unison.

Laughingly, Jack lowered his Keyblade. "I had no intention of messing with your heart, mate. Still, it is somewhat comforting that friends might risk their lives for friends." He relaxed on the couch, Keyblade in hand.

Sora was wary of going near the pirate. He summoned the Kingdom Key, just in case.

"You'd better not try anything stupid," Donald said, waving his magician's staff in Jack's face.

Jack gave no response. Sora frowned, and gasped as his Keyblade disappeared from his hand without bidding it to leave.

"What's wrong, Sora?" Goofy asked. He had taken the departure of the Kingdom Key as a sign of Sora settling down after his fright.

What was wrong was that the Kingdom Key had appeared in Jack Sparrow's other hand.

The pirate opened one eye and gave a mock yawn.

Hey! Give that back," Sora demanded, stepping towards the thief.

Jack willingly handed it over to its former owner. Once again, the Kingdom Key mutinied and returned to the pirate. He merely shrugged.

"The Keyblade hath spoken," Jack remarked with an impish grin.

Sora's face went pasty. "What have you done?"

In an odd fit of sympathy towards his spiky-haired junior, Jack detached the possession of the stolen Keyblade and gave it back to Sora.

"Well," Jack commented, dismissing Duskwake. "I suppose that solves the mystery of the faulty Keyblade."


	7. Anti Sky

"So, where were we going, again?" Sora asked, folding his arms.

The bus stop was packed with business people, shoppers, students and all a manner of other people with travel on their minds. Donald and Goofy were squished together on the bench in the shelter, fervently lamenting their decision to sit there. Jack Sparrow was chatting amiably with a pair of ladies, one blonde, one brunette. It thrilled him that women these days dressed less modestly than the wenches back in Tortuga.

Amanda looked up from the timetable in her hands. "Could you point out the tallest building that you can see?"

The answer was obvious; the skyscraper in question made all the other blocks look tiny compared to it. Sora pointed it out in no time.

"That's the place," Amanda answered. "The Sky Tower."

"Sky Tower," Sora repeated. "What are we doing at the Sky Tower?"

Amanda rolled her eyes. "It's _tall_, stupid. We're going to the top."

"Why?"

"Why?" Amanda spat. "Why _not_? Unless you're afraid of heights."

Sora immediately countered her accusation. "Get real!"

The bus came in, and the argument came to an end. A couple of people got off, leaving the group no option but to get on or miss the bus.

Jack had to be dragged away from the bus shelter, where the two young ladies remained. They both made 'Call me!' gestures, but he frowned as if they were mad.

Amanda paid for their tickets, and they moved along. Whilst the majority of them took seats in a row in the middle, Jack remained standing.

"What are you doing?" Amanda hissed.

The bus rolled into the traffic.

"Wench-spotting," Jack replied, over the player on the game board. His dark eyes took note of every eye-magnet on the bus for future reference. Wistfully, he also watching women whisk by on the pavement, never to be appraised by his eyes again.

A passenger or two gave him a wealth of weird looks as a reward.

"Jack, seriously. Sit down," Amanda pleaded.

The pirate shook his head. "Terrible view down there, love. Up here, one can see most any notable female's goods."

Donald looked at Goofy, confused, whilst the latter remained unfazed.

"What's he talking about, Goofy?"

Goofy shrugged and stared out the window.

The would-be duck leaned over his friend to see what was outside. "Can you see 'em,Goofy?"

"What?"

"The notable female's goods!"

Goofy sat back in his seat, bored. "Go back to Disney Castle for your female 'goods', Donald. Shucks, there's no one here worth looking at."

Jack didn't think so, but he was already occupied.

The bus driver looked in his rear vision mirror and saw the pirate still standing in the aisle. Hey, buddy! Why don't you take a seat?"

Captain Jack gave the irate man a flourishing wave. "That's a kind offer, mate, but I can't very well navigate myself sitting down."

The bus came up to an intersection, and the driver put on the brakes. Jack went flying.

Grinning at him, the bus driver remarked, "That's why you sit down."

Disgruntled, the pirate took a seat.

The rest of the trip went reasonable smoothly. Apart from the couple of times that Jack pushed the button telling the driver to stop, he (the bus driver) learned to ignore him. Even Jack got bored of the game, and resorted to humming a random sea shanty which popped up in his head. The other passengers couldn't wait to get off.

When they reached the stop closest to the Sky Tower, Amanda stood up, and the others followed.

"Gawrsh, it's a lot taller up close," Goofy remarked, leaning back to see the top of the tower.

"Yeah, wow," Donald confirmed.

Sora turned to Amanda, who was staring straight ahead. "Have you been here before?"

The girl quit her gazing for a moment and shrugged nonchalantly. "Hmm, a few times."

"Have you been to the top?"

"Yup!" Amanda let a bright grin flash across her face. "C'mon, race you inside!"

Automatically, everyone in the group began to run at break-neck speed towards the entrance. Amanda had her work cut out for her, trying to keep up with them. Right before they were about to enter the Sky Tower, a portal opened and swallowed them whole before they could stop.

Sora, Donald and Goofy were a pile on the cool stone floor. Jack was in his own pile. Only Amanda had kept her footing intact when they had hurtled through the portal.

"Suzume!" A sandy-haired boy rushed toward her, making Amanda feel obliged to catch him, least she be knocked over by his enthusiasm.

Amanda was all dimples as she greeted him. "Shetu, haven't seen you in a while! Where have you been prowling, brother?"

"Closer to home, this time. In Papamoa, chasing seagulls!" The boy transformed in Amanda's arms, becoming a tawny housecat.

He began to purr.

Sora was near speechless. "What... is that?"

"My brother. Yeah, I know. He's a cat." Amanda scratched Shetu's chin affectionately before putting him down on the floor. The feline purred loudly, rubbing up against his 'sister's legs.

The pirate had bounced off of the ground when the creature had shapeshifted. He watched it now, thoughtfully. "Are all your relatives as prone to becoming members of the animal kingdom?"

"Shetu is his own kind," Amanda replied, uncharacteristically soft-spoken for a moment. Glancing at Jack, she cleared her throat and waved her hand towards Sora and the others. "C'mon. Let's go."

Sora and Donald moved to follow, but Goofy was resolutely static.

"Hold up," Goofy argued, looking suspicious. "Did no one else notice that we dived through a portal? No one?"

Jack Sparrow looked back towards the entrance, which had disappeared. "Is that what you call it, eh?"

Donald stomped on Goofy's foot, whom in response howled in pain. "Don't be a chicken, Goofy!"

"Yowowowowwwwww!" The Captain of the Royal Knights cried out, hopping on his non-stepped-on foot. "Don't do that Donald! That weren't the point. Point is that this ain't what the Sky Tower looks like from the outside."

Sora stared at Amanda, his blue eyes filled with shock. "Why?"

Amanda was immediately on the defensive. "Why are you asking me? I didn't open that thing!"

Jack was examining the antiquated structure of the room they were in. He guessed that it was some sort of hall of an old castle or mansion. It was clean, and therefore was occupied by one occupant or another. Whilst he was summing up the place, the pirate noticed a young man with virtually no hair and a short leather jacket sneaking off down the edge of the hall.

"Oi!" Jack singled out the intruder. "There's one you might consider worth interrogating with regards to our being in the wrong place."

Sora looked and nodded at Donald, whom returned the gesture. Both chased after the fugitive with a shout.

"Not again..." Goofy shook his head.

Amanda sighed and then looked up at the ceiling that was so high up. "I guess we should go make sure those two don't get into trouble."

Jack narrowed his eyes in her direction, but the remaining trio indeed also followed the hall. Their footsteps echoed ominously, replacing what would have been their voices if they were speaking. Sora and Donald had chased the stranger down a corridor on the right, hence leading the other three to change course at the intersection. The solid bullying walls that flanked them would barely accomodate a quarter of Amanda's armspan, forcing them to travel in single file, Jack in the lead. There was no source of light in the tight passage, so the further they went, the less they could see. Eventually, they found themselves in sheer darkness, guided only by the walls on either side.

The pirate slammed against something solid in his path. Goofy stumbled into him.

In the darkness, Jack snarled, "If you'd be so kind, mate..."

Without further insinuations needed regarding the inappropriateness of his position, Goofy retreated, muttering, "Well, shucks, if you didn't stop in the middle of my path-"

"What made you think that it was yours?" was the reply.

The pair heard Amanda's exasperated input. "Just shut up, the both of you!"

Silence wrote volumes about the reception.

Jack felt something furry brush up against his leg. He recoiled instinctively.

"What have you found, you little nuisance?" the pirate murmured.

Shetu began to meow, but cut himself off by reverting to his human form. "That's a door, you know."

"Isn't that peaches and cream?" Jack replied sarcastically, annoyed that his personal space had once again been breached without his permission. "But as you can sense, we are currently trying to save space."

Shetu swore at the pirate but dropped back into his smaller cat form. The feline attempted to sink his claws into Jack's seemingly unprotected leg, but the denim of his jeans didn't give access. Smiling into the darkness, the pirate ushered the animal out of the way with a sneaker.

"Come here, Shetu," he heard Amanda say. Jack imagined that she was mentally shooting him with daggers, and he didn't give a damn.

Feeling along the surface of the door, the pirate discovered the presence of a door knob. Alas, it was locked.

"I must say, I'm getting bloody sick of keyholes," Jack commented aloud, summoning Duskwake. Pointing towards the lock he had touched, he attempted to unlock the door.

"You know, I'm getting sick of you thinking that you can make broken things work!" Amanda retorted, the disdain evident in her voice.

Goofy spoke in defense of the pirate. "Gawrsh, ya just need a little practice, is all!"

"Just shut it," Jack said distractedly, not giving up.

Amanda roughly shoved Goofy to the side and slapped her palm against an irregular panel on the door. The door retreated into the ceiling, allowing bright light to flood into Jack's eyes, distorting his vision.

On the other side of the doorway, Sora and Donald were surrounded by strangers, captured. They looked Jack's way in shock.


	8. The Light Tribunal

The pirate quickly assessed the situation and stepped forward undaunted by his being outnumbered. "Well, I see this as an opportunity to commandeer some new acquaintances, eh? T'appears some of you have been doing this ahead of time."

The strangers whom had apprehended the pair stared at the newcomers.

Amanda bypassed Goofy and Jack, coming to stand beside the stranger with the crew cut. "Takeshi, let me introduce you to my friends." She placed a hand on Sora's shoulder. "This is Sora, the one you've heard much about. Is this how you reward those who clearly serve the lighter side of the heart? By taking them captive?"

Takeshi, nonplussed by the revelation, looked from Sora to Amanda a number of times. "Sora? Really? I am so sorry for the mistake." He nodded towards the guards restraining the young boy, and he was instantly released. Glancing around at the faces whose names had not yet been filled in, Takeshi added, "The young Keyblade bearer, unfortunately, does not, with his record of good deed-doing, account for his friends."

Donald, although still restrained, had a blistering fit on the spot. "Gwaah, what do you want with us? We haven't done anything wrong!"

Takeshi turned around and faced the short-tempered prisoner and stooped to accommodate his lack of height. "Who are you?"

The duck-man was about to reply, but Yumiko, silently making an entry, hushed him with her quiet but powerful presence. "This is not his true form." Muttering foreign incantations beneath her breath, the elderly woman reached out her wrinkled hand towards Donald, outstretching it. An orb of light surrounded Donald, whom squawked in surprise. His disguise failed to disguise his original form, rendering him back into the duck magician that we all love to hate.

"...Waaah?" Donald quacked in fright, examining himself for error. He found none, and relaxed. "I'm me again."

Yumiko smiled at the newly restored friend of Sora and Goofy's, bowing her head. "Welcome, Donald."

"How do you know my name?" Donald barely managed to coax out of his beak in question.

Cackling, the old mystic moved past him and gave an answer. "I see things as they truly and fully are at heart. Now there are other things to attend to."

Donald was finally released, and he jumped up and down on the spot.

Goofy, in the meantime, in a flurry of light similar to the one that had encapsulated Donald, had lost his human form also.

Takeshi glanced at Amanda, whom murmured, "That's Goofy, the only one who ever made sense out of the lot of them."

The pirate, in the meantime, had been taking subtle steps in the direction that he had come. Almost faster than the human eye could track an object at, Takeshi moved into the doorway, barring Jack's apparent escape.

"That's all well and good," the warrior-like man declared, casually leaning on the doorframe. "But who is this?"

Grinning in a disarming manner, Jack Sparrow flailed an overly-flamboyant salute and bowed. "Captain Jack Sparrow, my fine gentleman, and a better drinking-partner you'll never find in another god-forsaken soul."

Yumiko shuffled closer towards him, discerning his face as if she could see beyond his nonchalant expression. "In a way, Takeshi, this is his original form. The self-proclaimed captain is in fact the Bearer that you have been on the lookout for."

An audible gasp from the strangers rent the air.

Clapping his hands together enthusiastically, the pirate flashed a smile and spoke. "Fascinating stuff of lore and legend, eh? I must say, the whole affair puts me in the mood for a pint or a dozen, of rum, whatcha say to that?"

"I would rather sift through this torrent of information with a clear mind," Takeshi replied, dashing the ever-irrepressible Jack's hopes of weaseling a free drink out of the situation. The warrior closed his eyes and massaged his temples thoughtfully. "So, Yumiko. This _Captain_ Sparrow here, he is Havoc's Bearer?"

The elderly woman was about to confirm this, but the pirate interrupted. "It's all very well and good that you seem to want to hear about my misadventures bearing any amount of mischief and the like, but t'appears that we have learned nothing of _you_ as of yet, if we ignore the general partiality to magic tricks. Who then, are you?" Yumiko once again made an attempt to speak, and was foiled yet again, as Jack was not finished yet. He turned toward Amanda and bowed deeply. "Greetings, Suzume, if that is your true title beneath your many masqueraded appearances."

Sora and Donald stared at her with shocked expressions. "Whaaaa?"

For a moment, silence weighed heavily upon the air.

Suzume, suddenly feeling uncomfortable beneath the eyes on her, glanced off to the side. "Well, I had to do it. You don't know how long we have had to search for _you_," she said in defense of herself, focusing on the pirate.

Goofy scratched the inside of his nose with a finger before asking her the question that everyone wanted to ask her: "Hyuck, why were ya lookin' for Jack?"

Takeshi pushed Jack away from the door forcefully and restrained him. "Captain Sparrow here stands against everything we stand for by siding with the Order of Havoc." He leaned over the pirate's shoulder and spoke in his ear. "You have already admitted to as much."

Jack Sparrow cleared his throat and ignored the arm around his neck. "You could stand to be more specific about what it is that I was admitting, eh?"

Sora summoned the Kingdom Key and dropped into a fighting stance. "Let Jack go! You don't have any proof of whatever you are accusing him of!"

Quickly stepping into his path, Suzume placed a hand on Sora's face and pleaded with him. "Sora, please. This isn't your fight. Stand down."

"No!" He pushed Suzume's hand away and glared at her. "I am not taking orders from you Amanda- Suzume... _whatever_ your name is. You betrayed us." He straightened up and gave the pirate a nod. "Jack's our friend, and I don't care how many of you think he has done something wrong. I will stand in your way." He looked at Donald and Goofy respectively.

"So will I, Cap'n," Goofy added, enlisting himself into Sora's cause.

Donald gave Jack Sparrow a long look and then stood closer to Sora. "Me too, you great palooka. Just you try and stop us!"

Takeshi suddenly brandished a previously-concealed knife at Jack's throat, the threat becoming more apparent. "Don't make the same mistakes as he has, young Keyblade bearer. Your Captain Sparrow has entrenched himself in a darkness that he himself cannot find the strength to be rid of.

"I beg your pardon?" Jack resisted the warrior's grip, and was rewarded with a light but stinging nick on his throat. "Is that any way to be talking about a chap whose ears are present?"

Grimly, Takeshi answered the question. "With proof, yes it is. My apologies. Suzume?"

"Yes." The girl's face was downcast as she met Jack's dark eyes. "Show me Duskwake."

The weight of Suzume's request bore down upon the pirate's will like an anvil, and a dark cloud began to form in his hand. As the Keyblade was beginning to materialise, Captain Jack realised that the weapon was somehow tied to the welcome he had received from the strangers (and he was not fond at all of being told what to do either), which left Duskwake teetering on the edge between being and not being.

To no avail. Takeshi... and the new entrant to the scene, Ryuunosuke, had seen enough. Bearing down upon the hapless pirate, the heavyset leader of the Light Tribunal struck him forcefully with his steel mace in the temple several times, the first hit insisting that the victim take a long sleep on the ground without hardly a complaint.

Ryuunosuke was back with a lifetime of vengeance to kill.


End file.
